Concepts Gallery

Higgs boson, conceptual artwork

Higgs boson, conceptual computer artwork. The Higgs boson is a proposed fundamental particle that is thought to give other particles mass. It is required by many of the Grand Unified Theories which hope to explain three of the fundamental forces (electromagnetism and the weak and the strong nuclear forces) in a single unified theory. The Higgs boson is yet to be detected experimentally, but it is one of the main challenges of high-energy particle accelerators such as the large hadron collider (LHC) at CERN (the European particle physics laboratory)

© PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Chakra energy points, computer artwork

Chakra points. Computer artwork of a woman showing the location of the seven basic chakras. Chakras are believed by followers of Hinduism to be spiritual energy points along the human body. The seven main chakras are aligned along the body from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Each chakra is associated with a certain colour and controls a multitude of mental and physical functions

© CHRISTIAN DARKIN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Embryonic stem cell and needle, SEM

Embryonic stem cell and needle. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an embryonic stem cell (ESC) sitting in the eye of a needle. ESCs are pluripotent, that is they are able to differentiate into any cell type. The type of cell they mature into depends upon the biochemical signals received by the immature cells. This ability makes ESCs a potential source of cells to repair damaged tissue in diseases such as Parkinson's and insulin-dependent diabetes. However, research using ESCs is controversial as it requires the destruction of an embryo

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY